“U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A”
“MEH-hee-koh, MEH-hee-koh, MEH-hee-koh”
Those were the chants heard across the land at Boxcar Park in Everett the past two weeks as the Snohomish County Sports Commission (SCSC), City of Everett and Port of Everett partnered to host four Everett official SeattleFWC26™ Fan Zone Waterfront Watch Parties.
Red, white and blue to represent the United States, green, white and red to support México and glimpses of South African, Paraguayan, South Korean and Australian colors filled the two-acre park bordering the Everett Marina to celebrate the opening games of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Mexico and South Africa in Group A kicked off the tournament on June 11, and Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez both netted goals to give the host nation a 2-0 victory. Approximately 1,500 people attended the first watch party on Thursday afternoon, and that number increased to around 4,500 for the second watch party on Friday evening, June 12. It was there where attendees also witnessed the U.S. tally a 4-1 win against Paraguay in Group D with the first goal being tallied as an own goal followed by two goals from Folarin Balogun and one from Giovanni Reyna.
A week later, the attendance numbers didn’t just increase by a few, they nearly doubled. With 6,000 attendees spanning June 11 and 12, the estimation on Thursday, June 18, and Friday, June 19, totaled to around 10,900 with 5,200 arriving for the Mexico and South Korea match and 5,700 for the USA and Australia match. Mexico’s Luis Romo netted the team’s only goal in its 1-0 victory over South Korea, and an own goal and a strike from Alex Freeman gave the U.S. a 2-0 win over Australia, which was also the first match held at Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), one of the host sites, located about 30 miles south of Boxcar Park.
With nearly 17,000 attendees choosing to start their summer at the four, free-admission Fan Zone Watch Parties, the objective of hosting a local gathering was greatly met because it provided everyone from die-hard football fans and general soccer enthusiasts to current and former soccer players and coaches to parents and their children to come together in one space to appreciate the sport and each other’s cultures. Free shuttle service was also provided via Everett Transit, and many local food trucks pulled up to serve delicious food and refreshing beverages.
“XXX,” said Tammy Dunn, SCSC executive director. “XXX.”
“XXX,” said Nathan Caferro, SCSC sports events manager. “XXX.”
“XXX,” said Landyn Olson, SCSC sports development coordinator. “XXX.”
“All four Fan Zone Watch Parties were great opportunities for Everett to bring the community together to celebrate the sport of football,” said Taras McCurdie, SCSC marketing content coordinator. “I really enjoyed capturing scenes when the crowd cheered for goals and ‘politely’ disagreed with the referee’s calls. But most importantly, I appreciated how the emcees, Jaime Méndez and Diana Oliveros with Se Habla Media, entertained the crowd and were welcoming to both of the nations’ fan bases. That’s the beauty of this sport. I heard comments that people enjoyed these events and wanted more, so this is a good step moving forward for the Sports Commission to see the impact we can create with our local partners.”
Scenes from the first Watch Party on Thursday, June 11
